Combination bucket and wringer

Abstract

 A combination mop bucket and wringer unit 10 comprises a mop bucket 11 having a bottom 13 and an upstanding peripheral wall 15 with an upper lip. The peripheral wall 15 is of thin-wall configuration and is susceptible to bending and buckling upon exertion of a downward force. A wringer 12 includes a cap-like body which fits over part of the upper lip of the peripheral wall 15 of the bucket. Connection means, typically in the form of catches 34, are provided between the upper lip and the wringer body. The connection means securely engage the wringer with the bucket to prevent unintentional lift off of the wringer from the bucket and to substantially reduce bending and buckling of the side wall upon downward force applied to the wringer.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to mop buckets and wringers which are used to squeeze the water out of a mop.

[0002] The usual mop bucket and wringer consists of a bucket having a bottom with wheels mounted to it so that it can roll across a floor. A wringer unit is suspended in the top of the bucket and is commonly held therein by the use of rear and side hangers or hooks which fit loosely over the rim of the bucket and suspend the wringer unit in the top of the bucket. The bucket must be of relatively sturdy and if heavy duty construction to resist the bending forces applied thereto by the wringer mounted on the bucket sidewalls. Moreover, the wringer can be easily lifted out of the bucket. This is not a problem when the user intends to remove the wringer from the bucket, but all too often the wringer inadvertently separates from the bucket, as when moving the bucket, and can spill mop water on the floor.

[0003] According to the present invention, there is provided a combination mop bucket and wringer unit comprising a mop bucket having a bottom and an upstanding peripheral wall with an upper lip, the peripheral wall being of thin-wall configuration and being susceptible to bending and buckling upon exertion of downward force, a wringer including a cap-like body fitting over part of the upper lip of the peripheral wall, and connection means between said upper lip and said wringer body, said connection means securely engaging said wringer with said bucket to prevent unintentional lift off of said wringer from said bucket and to substantially reduce bending and buckling of said sidewall upon downward force applied to the wringer.

[0004] Preferred and/or optional features of the invention are set forth in claims 2 to 11, inclusive.

[0005] The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of a combined mop bucket and wringer unit according to the invention,

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the combined mop bucket and wringer unit shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the mop bucket with the wringer removed,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the part shown by the arrow 6 of Figure 1,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view showing a further embodiment of a combined mop bucket and wringer unit according to the invention, and

Figures 8 and 9 are fragmentary views showing yet a further embodiment of a combined mop bucket and wringer unit according to the invention, in two different conditions.

[0006] Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings, there is shown therein a combined mop bucket and wringer unit 10. The combined unit 10 generally consists of a mop bucket 11 and wringer 12.

[0007] The mop bucket 11 is of thin-walled construction and comprises a bottom 13 with wheels 14 mounted thereto for movement over the floor surface and an upstanding peripheral wall 15 which includes opposite sidewalls 16 and 17 and front and rear walls 18 and 19, respectively. A pour spout 20 is formed in the front wall 18 for ease of pouring mop water from the bucket 11. The peripheral wall 15 is of generally rectangular section and is arranged with the pour spout 20 projecting forwardly. Mid-side support walls form vertical steps 21 in the sidewalls 16 and 17. The steps 21 provide strength to the walls 16 and 17 to inhibit buckling or undue flexibility. Forward of the steps 21, the bucket 11 is wider than to the rear of the steps 21. The steps 21 taper downwardly to join smoothly with the sidewalls 16 and 17 approaching the bucket bottom 13. Rear corners 22 and 23 of the bucket 11 are radiused for strength.

[0008] The bucket 11 has an inverted U-shaped rim 24 formed to provide strength and prevent buckling. The rim 24 includes a horizontal portion 25 and a downwardly extending portion 26.

[0009] The bucket 11 is formed of a synthetic plastics material, such as polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane or other synthetic resinous materials. The wall thickness of the bucket 11 is unusually thin for the capacity of the bucket. For example, the preferred wall thickness is between .058 and .078" (1.50 and 2.00 mm) and typically .068" (1.72 mm) within a range of plus or minus .010" (.025 mm). Other competitive buckets are considerably thicker, for example, in the range of .140" to .185" (3.5 to 4.7 mm) for normal commercially available buckets. Heavy duty buckets made by certain manufacturers are up to .260" or .370 " thickness (6.6 or 9.4 mm).

[0010] The wringer 12 fits on top of the bucket 11 and is chiefly composed of a plastics material. The wringer 12 includes upstanding side walls 30 and 31 which support an internal compression arrangement, typically in the form of wringer presses 32, operatively connected to a wringer handle lever 33. The wringer 12 also comprises four catches 34. Two of the catches 34 are spaced apart along the rear of the wringer and engage with the rear part of the U-shaped rim 24 of the bucket (as shown in Figure 4) and the other two catches are provided at opposite ends, respectively, of the front of the wringer and engage with the steps 21 in the walls 16 and 17 of the bucket (as shown in Figure 6). The two catches 34 on the rear of the wringer could be replaced by a single longer catch which could extend along much of the rear of the wringer.

[0011] Each catch 34 includes a depending portion 35 which fits over the outer surface of the outer limb of the U-shaped rim 24 of the bucket and an inwardly extending portion 36 which preferably has an upstanding projection 37 at its free end and which snaps under the outer limb of the U-shaped rim 24 of the bucket. Once snapped on, the wringer 12 is difficult to remove from the bucket 11 except through the use of a prising tool, such as a screwdriver, or a grasping tool, such as a pair of pliers. The sidewalls 30 and 31 of the wringer have depending skirt portions 38 which snugly receive the two sides of the U-shaped rim 24 of the bucket as best shown in Figure 5.

[0012] In an alternative embodiment, the two front catches (and/or the two rear catches) could be replaced by releasable catches which prevent the wringer from being inadvertently lifted off the bucket and which, together with the rear catch, substantially reduce bending and buckling of the sidewall 19 upon a downward force applied to the bucket. Figure 7 shows a releasable catch 34' comprising a slidable pin 40 mounted in a sleeve 41 at the lower end of the depending portion 35'. Figures 8 and 9 show a releasable catch 34'' comprising an angularly displaceable pin 40' having a first projection 42 for engaging behind the downwardly extending portion 26 of the rim 24 of the bucket when in a first angular position (Figure 8) and a second projection 43 for holding the pin 41 captive in sleeve 41' (Figure 9). The catches could also be snap fittable into engagement with the bucket and releasable therefrom.

[0013] In all embodiments, the wringer 12 is securely engaged with the bucket 11. This prevents unintentional lift off of the wringer from the bucket. Also, the wringer, when connected to the bucket, prevents buckling or undue distortion of the relatively thin-walled material of the bucket. In this manner, a lighter weight combination mop bucket and wringer unit can be constructed thereby conserving materials and bringing a lesser price to the market place.

[0014] Each side wall of taller buckets, in particular, could be provided wit an inwardly extending wall portion (not shown) in its lower region to give these side walls added strength. The inwardly extending wall portions could be horizontal or substantially horizontal and, in this case, will define internal ledges which could be used to support a filter.

[0015] The wringer 12 also includes a handle 40 for lifting the combined mop bucket and wringer unit 10.

Claims

1. A combination mop bucket and wringer unit (10) comprising a mop bucket (11) having a bottom (13) and an upstanding peripheral wall (15) with an upper lip (24), the peripheral wall being of thin-wall configuration and being susceptible to bending and buckling upon exertion of downward force, a wringer (12) including a cap-like body fitting over part of the upper lip of the peripheral wall, and connection means (34) between said upper lip and said wringer body, said connection means securely engaging said wringer with said bucket to prevent unintentional lift off of said wringer from said bucket and to substantially reduce bending and buckling of said sidewall upon downward force applied to the wringer.

2. A combination mop bucket and wringer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection means (34) connect the wringer body to the mop bucket along at least a part of a rear wall (19) of the bucket and to each side wall (16, 17) of the bucket at a position intermediate the front and rear walls of the bucket.

3. A mop bucket and wringer unit as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said upper lip (24) is generally of inverted U-shape and said wringer body has a skirt (30, 31) which snugly receives said upper lip.

4. A mop bucket and wringer unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the peripheral wall of the bucket is of plastics material and in the range of .058 to .078 inch (1.50 to 2.00 mm) thick.

5. A mop bucket and wringer unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the peripheral wall includes opposite mid-side support walls which form vertical steps (21) in the peripheral wall and which divide said bucket into front and rear portions.

6. A mop bucket and wringer unit set forth in claim 5, wherein said connection means (34) connect the wringer body to the mop bucket along at least part of the rear wall of the bucket and at the mid-side support walls of the bucket.

7. A mop bucket and wringer unit as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connection means are releasable connection means (34';34'').

8. A mop bucket and wringer unit as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bucket has a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls and each side wall is provided with an inwardly extending wall portion in its lower region.

9. A mop bucket and wringer unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bucket includes a pour spout (20).

10. A mop bucket and wringer unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bucket has wheels (14) for movement over a floor surface.

11. A mop bucket and wringer unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wringer has an internal compression arrangement (32) for squeezing water from a mop and a wringer handle (33) arrangement operably connected to said compression arrangement.

Drawing